Pakistan likely to announce squad for T20 World Cup, New Zealand series today

• Pakistan to announce 18 to 19-man squad of which three to four players will be reserves. 
• The same squad will play five T20Is against New Zealand this month and later, two T20Is against England at home. 
• Selection committee deliberates upon the names of Haris Rauf, Muhammad Hasnain Waseem Jr, Faheem Ashraf and others. 

LAHORE: All eyes will be on Chief Selector Mohammad Waseem today as he is expected to announce the Pakistan squad for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup.

The same squad will play five T20Is against New Zealand this month and later, two T20Is against England at home.

Geo News had earlier reported that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is determined to try different combinations in the bowling and batting lineups against New Zealand and England in the run-up to the World Cup.

The board plans to take full advantage of its experience of the combinations during the seven T20 matches to ensure it has the best players ahead of the mega event to be held in the UAE.

The 15-man squad (with either three or four reserve players) will be announced by Waseem in a press conference today, said sources.

It is expected that the chief selector will include seven batsmen, two spinners and six fast bowlers in the 15-man squad.

Sources said the PCB selection committee has deliberated upon the names of Haris Rauf, Muhammad Hasnain Waseem Jr, Faheem Ashraf and others.

One of the two left-handed openers, Fakhar Zaman and Sharjeel Khan, is likely to be named as reserves for the squad while the names of former Pakistan skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed, Haider Ali and Usman Qadir are being discussed as well.

Sources told Geo News that the committee has received a suggestion to include the young Azam Khan into the squad as a wicket-keeper batsman instead of Sarfaraz Ahmed, who was also overlooked for the ODI squad against New Zealand. 

T20 World Cup to commence from Oct 17

The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 will kick off from October 17 simultaneously in the UAE and Oman. India and Pakistan are set to lock horns in the Super 12s stage of the 2021 men's T20 World Cup on October 24 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

"The two neighbours will come face-to-face for the first time since their 2019, 50-over World Cup fixture at Manchester, and this will be the sixth time they will compete in the global T20 tournament," said the PCB.

"Two days later, Pakistan, the champions of the 2009 edition, will play Kane Williamson’s New Zealand at the historic Sharjah Cricket Stadium, before returning to Dubai to play Afghanistan for the first time in a T20 World Cup on October 29," added the board.

In their last two matches of the Super 12 stage, which will feature top-eight ranked T20 teams and four teams who secure qualification from Round 1, Pakistan, who have played the most matches (36) in the UAE for an international side and have won 21 of them, will play the runner-up of Group A and winners of Group B on 2 and 7 November at Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium and Sharjah Cricket Stadium, respectively.